September 14, 2004

This is an idea I had for a book that I haven't done anything with... so I thought I would just post it here and update it over the coming weeks and months (otherwise it will remain buried on my hard drive).

This is pretty rough at this point and I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback on it.

The Sports of Business: What lessons can we take from sports and apply to business?

The fundamentals of the game
(THINK: peewee sports, someone new to the game, etc)
It starts early – that first season of soccer, little league or peewee football. A bunch of kids at practice, not totally sure of the people around them or what they should be doing. This is not unlike someone’s first day at work at his or her first job.

This section is devoted to getting people to see the big picture as quickly as possible.

Soccer: You can’t use your hands. Try to kick the ball into the other teams goal, etc.

Football: Okay, I don’t know this one.

Business: The customer is always right, we’re in business to...

When someone is entering the workforce, they need to know what? How do coaches get people to see the big picture quickly: Stories – Examples – Practice – What?

Rules of the game
Every game has rules – what are the rules of business? How do you enforce the rules? How do the best coaches delineate their game plans?

Drafting/Hiring
How do the most successful teams draft? What can we learn from "draft day"? Do you have talent scouts? Is HR like a catcher in baseball or are they proactive – looking for talent? Why do pro sports teams trade players? Can you do that in business?

Teamwork
What makes a wining team? Is it a couple of multi-million dollar players or a team of people willing working together with a common goal? What is the make-up of some of the most successful teams in history? Why do the New Jersey Devils win, year after year, with few "star" players?

The right equipment
You wouldn’t send a player on the field with out their helmet, or pads. What are you giving your employees to help them with their jobs? Books, magazines, KM Systems?

Practice makes perfect
Every team practices, why do they do it? How do they do it? How can you embed practices in your work? Can practices be thought of as prototyping?

Conditioning – A body in motion tends to stay in motion
There is a benefit to healthy people – they are more productive, less prone to injury, etc. What can you do to ensure you have healthy employees (I bet there arestatistics here – the cost of sick time or something?)

Mental Fitness
Just like a body in motion tends to stay in motion, so does a mind. How do coaches entice players to learn the plays? How do you get people to be thinking? Engaged? Mentally alert?

Secrets of success (improvement, try new things, etc)
When a team is on the field, they are constantly evolving, adapting to the changing conditions of the game – does your business do that? How can you introduce the adaptability in your employees?

Positions (roles & responsibilities)
Most sports teams have well-defined roles - does that have to be the same in business?

Competition – Scouting, understanding, preparing for, beating
There is competition in any business – if you don’t have it today, it is coming. How do the best teams handle the competition? How do you compete?

The game – the players, the team, the lineup
Who does what? How do you assign responsibilities? How do you build project teams?

Treat every day as game day – the cameras are on
Who is watching? The post-game interview: What if you were asked to measure your performance at the end of the day? Is performing your job an act or are you a superstar on the field?

Fan (Customer) Appreciation
During the course of a season there are fan appreciation days – little giveaways as a thank you for patronizing. Also, at the end of the year, teams give their jerseys away to fans. What about the parades after championships? Can you reward your customers with a "parade" or some kind (not literally)?

January 14, 2004

Darren Elliot wrote a great article about the recent shutout streak by Phoenix goalie Brian Boucher on Sports Illustrated.

Here are two interesting items from the article:

"The streak gave his team something to rally around -- a galvanizing goal (ahem, pardon the wordplay) to bring the Coyotes' season into focus."

As Minnesota Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said after Boucher recorded his fifth successive shutout against his team, "The streak is a testament to how well the Coyotes are playing as a team. The goalie is lucky."

What do you think? Individual or team? What about some of your accomplishments - were they a result of individual efforts or made possible because you were part of a team?